Carebara laeviceps
Carebara laeviceps | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
Genus: | Carebara |
Species: | C. laeviceps |
Binomial name | |
Carebara laeviceps Liu & Zhong, 2024 |
Little is known concerning the biology of Carebara laeviceps. The type material was collected in the grassland of Hanlin Village, Kaijiang City, Sichuan Province, China. The species nests underground and feeds on small invertebrates. Some major workers exhibit a swollen gaster, serving as a storage organ for reserves during foraging.
Identification
Carebara laeviceps is most similar to Carebara lusciosa, Carebara bouvardi and Carebara rectangulata, but can be easily distinguished from these three species by combination of the following features:
- antenna 10-segemented (9-segmented in C. lusciosa, C. bouvardi and C. rectangulata)
- posterior margin of head without a transverse carina in major worker (with a transverse carina in C. rectangulata)
- lateral profile of head in major worker parallel in full face view (subparallel in C. lusciosa)
- katepisternum finely rugose-reticulate in major worker (smooth in C. lusciosa, punctured in C. rectangulata)
- ventral face of petiole moderately convex (straight in C. bouvardi and C. rectangulata)
- distinctly larger with TL ~ 2.8 mm (C. lusciosa: 2 mm, C. rectangulata: 2.41 mm, C. bouvardi: ~ 2.4 mm).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species. |
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Estimated Abundance
Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species. |
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Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- laeviceps. Carebara laeviceps Liu, Z., Zhong, et al. 2024: 17, figs. 26-31 (s.w.) CHINA (Sichuan).
- Type-material: holotype major worker, 3 paratype major workers, 4 paratype minor workers.
- Type-locality: holotype China: Sichuan Prov., Kaijiang County, Dazhou City, 31°12’24’’N, 107°55’43’’E, 1100 m., 27.vi.2022, A22-955 (G. Nie); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depository: SFCY.
- [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of Oligomyrmex (Hendecatella) capreolus subsp. laeviceps Wheeler, W.M. 1928c: 24.]
- [Note: it is difficult to understand how this homonymy occurred because Liu, Z., Zhong, et al. 2024: 24, also cite the Wheeler, 1928 name and reference.]
- Distribution: China.
Type Material
- Holotype. China: 1 major worker, Sichuan Province, Dazhou City, Kaijiang County, 31°12'24"N, 107°55'43"E, alt. 1100 m, 27.VI.2022, Gui-chuan Nie, SWFU A22-955 (SWFU).
- Paratypes. China: 3 major workers and 4 minor workers, same data as holotype, SWFU A22-955 (SWFU).